The Ringless Ark
by morgan1yam
Summary: Seventeen year old Bex gets an unwelcome wake up call when Kisame Hoshigaki appears on her bus, almost killing her in the process. Now, Bex finds out that it's her job to now 'Resurrect' the rest of the Akatsuki members into her world. But at what cost?
1. Chapter 1 The South Ring

_**Okay every one, this is my first fanfiction ever, so... if it completely blows. Forgive me somewhat please. I have an inkling of a feeling that I'll get better as I go along. If the characters are OOC, forgive me please, I gave it my best to keep them in character as much as possible. I tried to make Bex as non-Mary Sue as possible, but as it goes on, my grip might slip. I'll depend upon my readers to slap me senseless if this occurs. On another note, there is a whole bunch of swearing, due to both Hidan and my character having Excessive Potty Mouth Syndrome.  
**_

_**Oh, right. I do Not own Naruto or any of its characters, Kishimoto does. I'm just taking them for a joy ride.**_

* * *

**_The Art of Rings  
_**

A woman let out a delicate sigh as she stretched her arms up over her head. The sun blazed through her window and scorched her fragile flower eyes as she scrunched up the back of her short oddly colored hair. In the light a glimmering stripe of aqua green blue surrounded her head like a halo of light.

Yeah, right, and I'm the freaking Easter bunny. No. firstly, my eyes are NOT delicate little flowers and yada yada, they happen to be a crappie set of eyes that require glasses due to nearsighted-ness. I'm not some beauty that was heaven sent. I just so happen to think I'm the spawn of the devil it's self.

Rawr. Do I scare you yet? If not, I must point out that its GREEN not sparkling nor this aqua blue halo shit that they've fed you. I got it dyed by a pal for a good price and it was midnight blue till the dye washed out, now I look like a freaking dandelion had mad sex with a pine tree and my hair was the by-product. Get the hint? Good.

I'm not some good spirited hero with a taste for justice. In fact, I laugh in the face of justice. Ha… did you see that? It was me laughing my ass off as a cop went by. No, that doesn't mean I'm a bad ass bike chick either. I just so happen to fit into the awkward teen category.

Yeah, you should know the one I'm talking about right? The one that really doesn't fit in with any type of group, and kind of doesn't want to for the fear of losing the: 'Mystery enshrouding their being'. Yup, that's me, with out the mystery, that was ditched a while ago for 'crazy, inconsistent sow' ah, the good old' days. Anyways, we're getting off topic.

Let's do a refresher, I woke up, the sun fried my craptastic eyes, because the blue and orange tiger stripe curtain was crumpled up like a little ball of tissue that's been sneezed in by a kindergartner with the flu. The bed was right underneath the window and I had this tiny itsy bitsy tendency to clutch to the crazily long curtain as if it was the mother I never had.

Arg! Yet again, back on topic… I really need help with this; it's a bad habit getting off topic you know. I did it again didn't I? If you could so graciously do me a favor, slap me… really hard preferably.

Well, just so you know as I was rambling to you, I hopped out of bed and started scrounging around for clothing. My room is not neat, the only time it is when I'm getting kicked out of it so a relative can stay the night. I came up from the abyss called my closet after getting dressed in a pair of flaring blue denim hipster jeans. Try saying that three times fast. Those hipsters, yeah, the rims had to be rolled up tree times just so I could walk properly with out killing my self. Curse you short ness! Curse you and your 5'3-ness!

I slipped on a simple black tank top hoodie, I flipped the hood around fixing it up proper so I didn't look like too much of a lazy slob. I quickly fixed up my massive messy bed head by straightening the front section to my ears. It only went down to my chin at most and you could still see the dandelion green colors. The back I left alone except a small slab of gel to get the cockatoo hair to disappear, I didn't want to be mistake for a tropical bird any time soon. Now my head looked great in my opinion, like a true stylist came over to my house and did up my hair... as if, the most I did was turn bed head around so that the dandelion look seemed as if I made it that way on purpose. Yay, innovative straightener and gelly goodness.

I quickly applied the little make up I needed: Blue Eyeliner. Actually I need more than blue eyeliner, but I really didn't want to put it on at this point in time. Whipping around to the computer table where most of my jewelry and other random stuff resided I started to slip on my usual brown and jade green bracelets. I have a theory that they are spirit warders because they look so cool and the look they were meant for that type of thing. I found them in a garage sale hosted by this lovely delirious old lady. Ah miss Wong, how I adore thee. Ah, after putting them on I slipped on one of my greatest conquests.

'The Reborn! Metal Tonfa Necklace.'

Did I forget to mention I was an anime freak? Maybe I should rewind a bit to the intro once more. Hi. My name is Bex, and I am an anime Freak… how are you? Ah, well, if you don't like teenage anime freaks, you can do one of a couple things.

One: delusion your self into thinking I'm not some how.

Two: cover your eyes with your hands right now and scream out to the world "THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME!" I suggest this one over any of the others personallyThen there are three: Just stop reading now. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt and letting you walk away right now. Yes, you heard me right, stop, drop and roll away from the vile words offending your person, it's just that easy.

Still here? Good, then let's continue.

I'm currently freaking just so you know, the one last piece of my jewelry is missing, it is the greatest thing I own, the holly grail of all my stuff, the god of jewelry, and it's MISSING. My favorite ring, no, no, my life, is missing! "Ar~g" I moaned leaning on my desk. I paused for a moment, gaining my 'second wind' before tearing apart my desk in search of my ring. "I need that ring, it essential to my day. I have had that ring for seven years!" There wasn't a day I didn't wear that ring anymore.

I bough that ring at my first anime convention when I was ten. I randomly leaned over a booth to see thing ring, I bought it not cause I chose it, but cause it, chose me. It was surrounded by other rings just like it with other characters on it. North, Orb, Three, Crimson, plus many more. But, the South just called out to me in one of those mysterious voices that tell you 'If you don't buy me now, your life will for ever be the same.' Now, I'm not saying that my life isn't the same, but that ring sure was something. It fit perfectly on my left ring finger. And I didn't even know what anime it came from back then. The only ones I watched were Pokemon, Digimon and Sailor Moon! I know what it's from now, hell yeah I do, and I'm surprised they even had rings for Naruto being sold that early.

"I can't go anywhere with out it! It'll kill me!" I proclaimed franticly scouring my room.

"Ring!" I announced dramatically, "I have failed you! Hoshigaki-Sama would never lose you like this!"

My monologue was interrupted when my younger sibling burst into my room demanding I "Hurry up and stop that loud blathering". With a grand Sigh I picked up my canvas satchel and with another sigh, left the dismal room. I couldn't stay home today and look for my ring however much I wanted to. The reasoning being… I was going on a field trip with the rest of my twelfth grade.

* * *

The dark as pitch eternal abyss swam around as my consciousness hovered with in it, being pressed into its self. I've been her for what felt like years, decades, millennia. But, who can tell in this situation, there are no clocks, no sun, and no source of time or movement at all. Just my mind, by my self, with no one else around to-

"Kisame" A voice called, "How long are you planning on killing off what's left of your Chakra, un?"

I was irked, this was not the first time one of my… co-workers had questioned my motives and ideas of escape. We all wanted out, of course, but it seemed like only I was willing to try. Maybe it's because I was the only one able to try after the experience. During the accident every one lost almost all of their chakra.

Except me.

Sure, I lost copious amounts of it, yeah. But I still had much of my reserves as a back up. While we were in this limbo I thought that if I sent out as much chakra as I could before terminating my self, I might discover a way out, or find some one other than my organization with in this area. Hopefully any one I would find would know more about this place then we currently do.

With a mental grunt I responded, "I will expend as much chakra as I wish until I find a way to get out of here." I stated coolly, "If we were in a different situation I wouldn't even think of do this sort of task." I barked out. My anger was reaching a peak, and due to some circumstances… I couldn't vent my anger in anyway.

Both of us were quickly reprimanded by our equally, if not more so, angered leader. This thus earned us a statement from our local holy man. Oh jolly.

"Serves you right bitches! I don't even know what the fuck Jashin–sama was thinking when he graced you with my fucking presence in this shitty ass void." Hidan, the loud mouth he is, announced. "I mean, seriously, you're just a bunch of heathens who deserve eternal damnation!"

"Hidan" a grumbling voice stated. "Shut up before one of us rips you a new one." Ah, you could always depend on Kakuzu to shut up his egotistical partner.

"Rip me a new one you greedy bastard?! I'd like to see your corporeal ass try any fucking shit like that!"

Maybe not. They do have a tendency to argue over the stupidest things. I sighed to my self once more after Deidara got involved in the conversation once more, thus eliciting a response from our subordinate Tobi. I tuned out the conversation as I returned to keeping a track on my chakra, the others would handle the verbal fight with out me, and I didn't have the skills necessary to stop such an event. I'm more of a 'do' then a 'say' person. That doesn't mean I don't have my own manners. Those are surprisingly necessary for a swordsman of my standards.

Whilst musing and surveying the never changing environment, a bolt of pain strummed through my mind. If I were able to, I would have cradled my head in my hands. The pain was over whelming and it felt as if something was prodding my mind, invading my thoughts. The whole action was making my thoughts go blurry. I gasped quietly trying to regain my self when the pain abruptly left.

I grunted shaking off the experience. If it weren't for that Hatake fellow, this would have never happened. Some how, that 'copy cat ninja', managed to come up with some sort of jutsu that warped our bodies into oblivion. Well his plan on killing us failed, it was quite a fluke of luck to be truthful. Leader-sama some how figured that something like this was going to occur and spread out his chakra to each of us living members. This means that only Tobi, Pein, Konan, Zetsu and I survived.

This should cause some confusion, how did the others get here then? We, when Pein-sama did this, were transported some how to this dismal abyss, and, guess who was there to greet us? Why, the rest of the gang of course. Apparently they only just arrived there before us, how peculiar right? Well this brought up some thoughts, 'Maybe were dead to.' 'Maybe were still fucking living, un' There were a lot of maybes and no conclusions. This caused me to come to the idea of expanding my chakra.

And, here we are, still trapped in this place, with no advancements but promises to rip each other to shreds when we get our bodies back. Did I forget to mention that little bit? Oh, well, turns out, our minds were separated from our bodies during the whole fiasco; I thank Pein for at least letting me keep my thoughts and a fair bit of my chakra though.

It's still not exactly my cup of tea. I mean my ideal vacation definitely doesn't involve Hidan and Kakuzu shouting constantly, or arguments about art… but worst of all, I can't stand being around-

"Kisame sempai!" a childish wail called out.

Tobi.

I sighed wishing I could cause any form of physical damage to anything. Right now I'm willing to pray to any gods out there that can here me to get me out of this mess.

_'Granted'_

A light appeared from seemingly out of nowhere and startled me. The others attention as well seemed to be drawn to this sudden occurrence. The light its self was blinding and it appeared to be eating away at the darkness, transforming each inch into a beam of bright white light.

The crawling light suddenly halted its movements and stopped devouring the darkness. Everything was at a stand still, if only for a second.

The first thought that thrummed through my head after the incident was 'I'm not really that partial to white… but this is okay.' Wow what a silly thought, couldn't I have been more original, more focused. I'd suffice if I thought about how odd it was that it appeared out of nowhere, or if it was peculiar that it came right after I wished for change. But no, I had to be an odd one and comment on how I'm not too fond of the color white.

It's understandable really though, white gets stained by blood too easily; it makes for a messy job and clean ups. It also doesn't camouflage well unless you're in the snow, which I rarely ever am. But still, 'I'm not partial to white… but this is okay'?

I regret that now.

_

* * *

_

With a yawn I shuffled into the sticky rubber of the bus seat as the bus jumbled and bopped around. We were currently on our way to our destination, Deer Red which just do happened to be a forty five minute drive from my town to there. Well, forty five minutes if you're on a bus with other screaming youth.

The reason for being on the bus? The teachers' thought that it would be a good experience for us students to go to a career and trades expo. Yeah effin right! I already fricken know what I want to be when I get out of school and it'll involve rigorous training of the emotions and mind; I will become… a shrink. Now you're probably thinking 'dude **FTW**? Your aim to be a _brain doc_?!' well… yeah. I always wanted to become some one whom deals with dangerous things. It stared out with me wanting to be an astronaut (space is deadly if your ship breaks down or you have a "leak"), then an archeologist (ever heard of booby traps and cave-ins?), then Psychiatrist (dude, your dealing with people, _MENTALLY UNSTABLE PEOPLE_. People, who might just have a fetish for decapitated heads, if you know what I mean).

But I love the idea of it! I have it all planned out and everything. Well, as planned out as you can get with out becoming overly obsessed. So, why did I have to go to a career fair? Just one thing was stopping me.

It was mandatory to attend if I wanted to ever get out of grade twelve.

Yeah, you heard me. My most brilliant and wonderful teachers decided that, to get more students to not skip out on this wondrous excursion, they'd bet our entire GRADE on it. What a splendid plan, it sure made me have to come. It's not like I went through a year of torture with one month left only to skip one day and fuck up the rest of my scheduled not so normal high school life by **REPEATING** grade twelve.

But, here's the kicker, some people with actual back bone went and said "Screw tha' bitch! I ain't doin' shit!" and got to stay at school anyways, _SCOT-EFFEN-FREE_! I am proud to announce though, that two of my friends did that and, are still going on to Graduate… lucky bastards.

They get to slack off while I'm here, sitting on a slimy, crowded bus by myself. Well, it just gets better cause, the two people behind me, are having a splendid conversation with the people in front of me. The topic you ask? How their most recent boy toys screwed the living daylights out of them till they screamed. Yet, all four girls remained unsatisfied with the performance.

Oh yes, this is just my idea of a relaxing school getaway. I only have one wish now as I plug in some head phones and crank up the volume to bust. The wish is, good lord, please just let me sleep until we get there!

**PLEASE!**

* * *

A sensation occurred that felt like getting pushed trough a tube of paint. After a moment the feeling dispersed and I light out a sigh before opening my eyes. Wait, hold up, last I checked I didn't even have eyes, I was just a mass of energy and thought! That means no body, right? With a grunt I looked down at my self as I used my hands to pat down my body starting from the chest down.

"Yes! Sweet victory, I have my fabulous artistic body back, un!" our blond artist announced vivaciously jumping around.

"Well, how about you and your body just go get fucking married heathen."

Ah, it felt good actually being able to hear the direction Hidan's voice came from.

Most of us returned to checking out our bodies to make sure it were actually there. A good sign that you exist is when you feel clothing, and I definitely saw the Akatsuki cloak, that's for sure. I finished up my search when I grabbed onto the hilt of Samehada, the scales clicked together appreciatively like rattling rain beneath its bandages. It seemed that is survived what ever that was to. I must say, it felt good to be back at… where ever we are. Where the hell are we?

"Leader-sama, what would you have us do now?" I questioned.

The blue haired girl of Akatsuki, Konan, came to stand beside our leader as he glanced around at our surroundings. "We need to figure out our location. Deidara, Sasori, survey the surrounding area." He demanded in a chilling tone.

Deidara nodded his head before stalking over to the puppet master. Leader then continued to give us orders. Although we were all ecstatic to have our own bodies, we were still stuck in a form of void. Oh, I forgot to mention that. Yeah, unlike our black prison, we are now lost in a forever expanding sea of white. It's not quite a good thing as since our bodies returned; we now stick out like sore thumbs due to our cloaks. Seeing as we were all predominantly dressed in black, we were easy targets… well, easy targets to nothing since there is no one in sight, but still.

Just, as I was to go about my own duty, a voice seemed to appear out of nowhere, yet echo every where.

**_"One has been chosen to lead the rest. One has been chosen… to enter first." _**

We all whipped about pulling our weapons into hand and getting instantly battle ready. My own hand latched on to Samehada instinctively as adrenaline pumped through my veins. It was pleasant, to say the least. There was a chance that we might be able to fight and I, for one, would enjoy it after so long. It seemed as if I wasn't the only one either, Hidan seemed to be enjoying him self to as he virtually vibrated in anticipation.

We all had battle born into or blood, if we didn't, well, then we wouldn't be Akatsuki now would we? Speaking of which, I was dieing to spill some blood. It had been a while since I could… _vent_, to say the least.

A maniacal grin spread across my face.

* * *

Once more I was sitting on the sticky seat of a bus. Go home team, hurrah. I managed to survive three hours of milling about mindlessly and filling out a work sheet. Yeah, I don't like the work sheet to say the least; it's a waste of time and effort, which is probably why my teachers gave it to me. The questions them selves made me want to curl up in a little ball and cry.

Reason number one for massive amounts of cry-age: the questions were _easy_, so easy a toddler could do them. But that coupled with reason number two (which just so happens to be that they were time consuming), would make it so I had a whole half hour left over, but still didn't have enough time to do what I wanted to do.

If you want to look at the situation positively, at least I got to buy and ice cream cone. I also got to talk to a fairly intriguing person in a booth, so that's cool. Unfortunately, that's about all that was cool, with what ever time was let over I spent doodling with crayons they supplied at some round tables.

I sighed leaning my head against the window once more and curling up into the seat. I popped in my wonderful, most fabulous head phones just as the pack of girls started talking again. Yet again I was going to prepare my self for a good, long bumpy nap time. Yay for having a seat all to your self, and no friends to share it with.

I closed my eyes getting prepared to embark upon the hard earned task of falling asleep. As if! I could go to sleep just about anywhere at any time, and it'd take a death scream of bloody murder or my own alarm clock to wake me. The only reason the alarm clock works, is because I have it set to a country station and I loath country with all of my being..

My mind slowly shut down and drifted into oblivion as I embraced the darkness's sweet embrace. Huh…oh good god, that's so… corny!

* * *

A bright woman appeared in front of us. Bright, being the only word that came to mind when trying to describe her. She had long platinum blond hair, from what I could see, and a white draping robe. It seemed like her skin was silver, or glimmering, then again, it might be because I'm currently squinting. The woman her self was emitting a light that burned our eyes quite well, it reflected off of the already blinding white that surrounded us and made visibility almost impossible.

"fuckin' bitch." Hidan shouted out with his sleeve covering his eyes, "put out your shitty light show so I can come over there and beat your ass before sacrificing you to the almighty Jashin-sama!"

"Smooth Hidan, un. Now she's definitely going to stop, un!"

"Deidara," the verbal command originated from Sasori.

…

"Yes, Sasori-danna"

"Zetsu-sempai! Make the glowy lady stop blinding Tobi!" Tobi whined out only to quickly be silenced.

The light died down slowly letting us adjust once more before it finally dissipated from view. I stopped squinting and the others quickly opened their eyes as well. We were all scattered about as the figure spoke once more.

_"One chosen shall pass through first."_

The voice came from all directions and the woman her self did not move her lips to speak. Actually, I'm not quite sure it was the woman speaking at all, the voice seemed to hold more tones in it, like there was more than one person saying the same thing at once.

Quick eye contact was made between members as we started an attack on this stranger. If you think about it, it was odd, we were looking for other life forms that woe could retrieve information from, yet we were killing the first one in sight. Well, I can only say that, I wasn't the only one creeped out

There was something wrong with her, something beneath the picture perfect girl that set you on the edge.

Most of our members stayed back, it was where they did their best work after all. I for one am all for frontal attacks though, its more thrilling to be right in front of your prey as you see the life drip out of their eyes. Off to the side I heard Hidan start his laughing. Oh yeah, the Jashin worshiper liked death to, it seemed I wasn't going to be the only one to do a frontal attack.

"Ha-ha!" Oh boy, he's started the speech. "I'll have fun seeing you in pain as I sacrifice you to Jashin-sama!"

Unfortunately for him, (and much to my amusement), the woman simply raised her hand as Hidan charged forward. Before getting with in even five meters of the chick Hidan was some how blown away. Itachi's eyes narrowed and he quickly looked over to Leader, whom had his arms crossed over solemnly watching as well.

As she was distracted by Hidan, Deidara threw clay birds, only to have them repelled by the shield like force as well. Taking my chance at it leaped forward at the girl. _"You were not chosen."_ She seemed to announce to all before I made it through the five meter point.

How odd.

I continued my assault getting up in behind her to swing Samehada. As my blade made the grand sweep towards her lithe neck, all seemed to come to a stand still. My movements that before hand held great speed seemed to now only inch along little infinitesimal distances as the seconds rolled by. I quickly found that she was not held back by this time barrier as she fluidly swept around to face me.

"You are the chosen."

Her voice rippled through my head and smashed across my consciousness like an anvil hammer. The effect was doubled as her small pale hands reached up and her fingers pressed into my temples. Images flashed through my eyes the last one being the kanji for my ring.

South.

A weight was formed on my left hand ring finger that wasn't there before. I hadn't realized it was missing up until this point. The invading appendages were removed and I could finally think straight once more. The woman stepped back from me and the feeling of going through a tube occurred once more, but this time, instead of facing a wall of white… there were blurs of colors.

All the while, my Samehada was still inching along its preordained path, no matter how much I willed it to change.

Damn.

The Beginning of the End

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**Authors Comments: So, what do you think? I'd actually really like to know. So please comment and review. I'll try and get the next chapter out soon but what with studying and work It might be a little while. I promise it will be out before the end of the month. That is my promise to you.**

**Chapter Preview: What the hell is Bex going to do when a Kisame cosplayer shows up on her bus randomly and scares the entire bus? How is Kisame going to handle being thrown into a totally different world?**

**Next time, On the Art of Rings. Who the hell do you think you are?!**

**Please Rate and Review, The more you put forth into this prodject, the more you'll get out!. I'll only get better if we both try our best! **


	2. Author Note

**Author note:**

**Erm, there is no way I can make it up to all of you, I know that. I honestly wouldnt forgive me either. But, I do have some things to say.**

**I was looking back at my writting, and I have realized that it has changed, if not dramatically, then enought for me to notice. I have come to only a few conclusions. One, I give up the story completely and hand it over to someone who can continue it in a more timely and better fashion then myself. The second, is that I start over new. I don't mean completely new, but honestly, the character Bex HAS to be older. She is quite literally half of Kisame's age, and there is something wrong with having a relationship with someone who could be your dad.**

**All of that, plus the new information we are gaining from Kishimoto about the Naruto verse and all of the characters in it has me rethinking how I developed some of them in my preliminary writings. All that being said, I could still continue this story, just realize that if I do, Bex WILL NOT be some little twelfth grader anymore. In all actuality, it helps me out if she is older and living on her own.**

**Anyways, I would really appreciate your feedback on this matter. If you are willing to pick up this story, Pm me,or review to let me know tour willing. Heck, you don't even have to yourself, if you know someone who wouldn't mind, that works just as well. **

**Realize that if I am going to continueit myself though, updates will be few and far in between. I have two jobs and university to balance at this point. I wouldn't mind giving my shot at it though. I wont be posting ant further chapters till I get confirmation what I should do though. **

**Thank you for staying loyal to me though dear readers! Thank you for actually reviewing and checking up to see if I had updated. It was appreciated.**


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